Drop-door-operating mechanism for dumping-cars.



R. R, WEAVER, DROP 'DOQR OPERATING MECHANISM EUR DUMPING GARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11,1914.

@p1 5354i, S, Patented Ja11.5,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/NVENTGR wauw/L R, R.. WEAVER. DROP DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR DUMPINC- CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. ll, 1914-. v

R. R. WEAVER.

'DROP DOOR OPERATING MBOHANISM POPL OUMPING Oms.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-11,1914.

1,124,188, l Patented Jan. 5, 19K,

i STATES PATENT foEEicE..l

ROBERT R. WEAVER, F COLUMBUS, OHIO,ASSIGNOR T0 THE RALSTON STEL COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

DROP-DOOR-OPERATG MECHANISM FOR DUMPING-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

application mea'september 11, 1914. serial No. 861,228.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT R. WEAVER, ofColumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-Door- Operating Mechanism for Dumping-Cars;

' and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in drop door operating mechanism for dump ing cars and more particularly to hopper bottom cars such as are employed for carrying ore, etc.

One object of the invention is to so construct a hopper bottom car and door operat. ing mechanism therefor, that a maximum opening shall be afforded when the'doors are dropped by said mechanism. y

A further object is to so construct door operating mechanism that the doors may be opened in such manner as to prevent arching of the material over the door opening;

A further object is to so construct and arrange drop door operating mechanism that it shall be disposed in such manneras to operate at right angles to the line of motion of the car, and thus reduce liability of being accidentally released by the longitudinal shocks incident to the sudden starting or stopping of the car. l

A further object is to construct drop door operating mechanism in such manner, that said mechanism shall be relieved from eX- cessive strain and shock when the doors are dropped and forced open violently by descent of the load.

A further object is to provide simple and eiiicient lock-operating means for dropdoor operating mechanism. g

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of cppstruction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the application of my improvements to a hopper bottom car; Fig. 2 1s a slde View; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional v1ew on a larger scale; Fig.

4 is a partial sectional view at right angles to Fig. 3, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views.

1 represents a hopper bottom car such as employed for transporting ore, coal, etc., and 2, 2 indicate the draft beams of the car. The lower portion of the hopper bod;7 of the car is located between the inner ends of the draft beams at respective ends ofy the car, and the pairs of draft beams are rigidly connected with the hopper body. The opening 3 in the bottom of the hopper body l 1s of considerable size, both in longitudinal and transverse dimensions, and is closed by two drop doors 4, 4. Thedo ors are hinged at respective sides of the 'door opening 3 somewhat inwardly of `the line of the car wheels 5, so that when said .doors, are open (as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3) they will be vertically disposed inside of the lines of the car Wheels and of the track rails. Each door is provided on itsbottom with an inclined brace 6 spaced from the free edge of the door by a suitable T or angle bar 7,-said braces also serving as trackways for parts of the operating mechanism as here inafterfexplained. The operating mechanisms for the doors are supported, for the most part, from the draft beams andv bletween the same in proximity tothe ends of the hopper body, and said operating mechanism is duplicated at respective ends of the body l, except as hereinafter specifically pointed out. Links 8, 8, are suspended from brackets 9"1 secured to the draft beams at respective ends of the lever portion of the body 1, and the links at one end of the hopper bottom are connected with those at the,

10 are. mounted so as to run against thebraces or trackways 6 onl the doors, andthe latter are provided with stops y11 to receive said rollers or the rods or bars on which they are mounted, when the doors are dropped, so as to prevent said doors from swinging far enough laterally to discharge portions of the' contents of the carover the track rails.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 7 of the drawing, which shows the door operating mechanism at one end of the bottom of thehopper body, 12, 13 represent alining shaft sections mounted in suitable 'bearings 14, 15, below and centrally between the planes of the draft beams. A cross head v17 is secured to the shaft section 12, and to its right hand end, as

viewed in Jig. 3 of die drawing, one end of s, curved linli 1S is pivoeily attachedB the oliei end of seid curved. link being pivotiilly connected ai. i9 with tlie left-bend 5 depending link 8. .Si eurvecl "linie Q0 is` pivoied el; one end itc tbe left bend end of die cross-bead l? and elle other end to lle right-bend depending link. lllflien bese parts are in tl i' normal positions and elle 3.0 doors closed, the pivosl connection of tbe curved linl: 18 vvili the left-band depending; link 8 will be disposed sligbly beiovT :die lcenter line of the shalt-end cross bead7 so that elle load on the doors will not force lieni open uiiil elle cross bead shall lieve been turned sufiieienely io overcome *die deed centers oi the link conneciions, rlbe sbefs sections lZ-l are connected by e clutch device capable of relative movementA 2@ approximately equal to die extent of turning movemen of 4be shaft section 12 i' f pose which will be bereinzii'er explained. y

@existence-ing' 'the clutch devices above referred to, 'lle shaft section 12 isbn-@vided 25 with e clutch member 2l having e, ing 2li, and be shaft section 13 lies secured oberste,

e recessed elueb. member 23 o receive "abe clucb member 2l. The -cliitcli nieniber 23 is provided wiili lug 22 to eopeiete with y@ tbe lug 2s on ilie elucli member 2l and tbe' lugs on the wo elucli members ere so pro- 'poriioned es no admit of-tlie relaive movements of the shaft seclions bereinbefore re- :lierredio The clutch member 23 (at one g5. end of the cer body) is provided vviii peripheral eeli, whereby e rziicliei'; Wheel 25 is formed, but si both ends of the car body, elle clutch member 23 is provided with eeeb to form e l,lf-gear Wheel Q6, the ratchet Wheel and iis cooperating devices being provided only at oiie end of tbe car body.

Disposed between the draft beams 2 (sil eiicli end of the body l) and having iis axis 'parallel with said beem,`is s gear 27 which, as shown in the drawing, may comprise, iwo opposizely disposed toothed segments 28--29,-lie former of which meshes with Jdie gear or pinion 26, The segment 29 meshes with and receives motion from e rack bar 30 (preferably formed of channel iron) which passes .transversely through suitable openings in elle Webs of the draft bea The iecl bei* 30 is of suiiicienl; eo extend epproximeely to the sides die cui; end 'ierniinate under lie side Shells 3l are mounted in suiieble 'rigs neue 'lie sides of tbe cai", prefv under the si de sills, and parallel ivih ier, and tliese slmfis carey pinions 3T nesli with the end Yportions ci the i i( bars at respective ends or y l The shafts 3l iireedapied ir ends to receive :i suitable erm oi' lever Guide rollreck bers Q or manually operating bem e5 erN 5:33 maybe provided ioi" yelongsied slot 38 iii lie dog 35.

.will be relieveo, o all sire sind inoiiiii'eo. "i suitable bearings ebeve pinions 32 segmenes 29.

in oi'dei lo insure tbe seciiie of 'lzlie'door opeieiing mechanism end of libe doors when tbe letter ere elosed, e pivoed pswl is provided end se locsed engage the sateliet wheel This is lield normally locked by ineens of e pivoefl dog 35, and seid pmvl end dog are loosely eoniiecied together by ineens l `riveted "eo il'ie pewl -i and ein shaft 39 is moun'ed transversely o'' e e el; one end of folie body l, ilJ el; i'especiive ends neer libe sides o witli'liandies e0. e, peint beiiveen draft beams7 lie rod or sbzife 3 vided ivi'n crank erm il Wliicli neceed, by ineens oi' e rod l2 vvitb. '.blie lecleing dog 35.

it will be observed liei epereiin mechanism for tbe doors is ai'snsversely of tbe cer time tbe ud den siopping orsering of tbe is noi liable to release or opei'ee seid reeel).mism es migb; occur with ebenisre arranged to move in lii'ecaions pe* el ii/isb lie direciion oi" moion oi elle li. also be noticed bs my @veel door operating ineelizinism is ie from lie sides oli tbe eer and the neces 'ey sf'or enering beween lle eers to release er restore lie drop dooie is obvieied7 and urtheiinose lie consbues tion and errengemen'i; of my improvesi ere sucb ibe these will be no iebiloiy lie material in tbe cer :ii-:eil over lie oiilfec when 'tbe doors ere opened.

ln operating the mechanism io discbeeee the contents of the ear, tbe treinmaii will first turn tbe rod or sbe io :eleese elle dog 35 from tbe pziwi 3: and to mise eli-s letter from. Willi lle misiles wheel will alien turn one of ibex shafts 3? lo impere nioion lio lie seele bers 30. llflfosion liiis imparted io will be ciensmieaed ao elle segmenel 27 and by letter to die visions sliaf; sections i3. The motion thus to the sliei' sections i3 will through l:lie medium oit iii-e e Q2-23 o xlie sliefi seeioes y es tbe shale sec'fzions l2 sbei b ve eurned to overcome ibo eeiieci" elle lin-l: mechanism i connects shaft sections l2 elle Weight oi *Clie oie oi Y iorce seid doers fully oben. During opening moveieni. of? dooiea eecli section l2 will ein so elise clutch member 2l will move to the olier en lie in ibs cliiicb n. bei' and i die door operatie@ geen "i and sliwl" im to libe violen?J opel. oi3 ille #be cio-sing libe dooiei '5511s i12-sin" die lug; on 'l Url den to swi man will turn one of the shafts 31 in the reverse direction and thus impart motion through the rack bars 30 gears 27 and pinions 26 for rotating the shaft sections 13.

`5 The lug of the' clutch member 23 on shaft section 13, now in engagement with the lug of clutch member 2l, will cause the shaft section 12 to turn and -iinpart motion, through the medium of the link mechanism the doors to closed psition. The rod or s aft 39 may now be operated to permit the pawl 34 and dog to assume their locked position to lock the door-operating mechanism with the doors closed.

Various changes might be made in the -,details of construction ofl my invention lWithout departing from the. spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not Wish to restrict myself to the precise detailsfhere` in set forth.

a hopper body and drop doors therefor, of

link mechanism coperative with, said doors, gearing disposed parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ear for operating said link mechanism, a transversely disposed rack bar for operating said gearing, and means at lthe sides of the car for operating said rack bar.

2. In a dumping car, the combination with a body and drop doors therefor, of .link mechanism for operating the doors, gearing for operating said link mechanism, a transverse rack bail ,for imparting motion to said gearinggand means at the sides of the car foroperating said rack bar.

' 3. In a dumpingr car, the combination with 40 ia body and drop doors therefor, lof link \m`echanisia for operatingr the doors, gearing for operating said link mechanism, a trans i'ei'sely disposed rack bar for operating,r said gearing, a manually operable shaft near the i5 side of the car, and a pinion carried by said 'l shaft and meshing with said rack bar.

4. Ina dumpingy car, the combination with :i body and drop doors, of suspended links near opposite ends of the open bottom of the cai-body, door engragin, r rods carried by said links, cross-heads disposed between the 'mally closed, and means for turning the cross head to overcome dead centers in the link connections to release the doors,

5. In a dumping' car, the combination with a body and drop doors therefor, of pairs of suspended links, door eria'aginp,f rods carried by said links, a' cross head mounted between each pair of suspended links,v a curved link connected at one end to one .end of the cross head and at the other end to the farthest removedsuspended link, a link connecting the other end of the cross head with the other suspended link of the pair, mechanism disposedtransversely of the car for operating said cross head, and means at the side of the car for operating said transversely disposed mechanism.

6. In a dumping' car, the combination with a car body anddrop doors, and link niechanisin for operating said doors, of ,a gear connected with said link mechanism, a transversely disposed rack bar, a gear interposed between said rack bar and the first men tioned gear and means at the sides of the car for operating said transversely disposed rack har.

7. In a dumping car, the combination With a body, drop doors therefor, operating mechanism for said drop doors, and a ratchet wheel carried by said door operating mechanism, a. pivoted pawl to engage said ratchet wheel, a pivoted dog to lock said pawl, a loose link connecting said pavvl and dog. a transverse rod operable from the side of the cai' and having a crank arm, and a rod connecting said crank arm with the pivoted dop;`

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib-A ing witnesses.-

ROBERT R. WEAVER. VVitnessest i E. N. HUoziNs, Boro B. HanDox. 

